Cigna says first-quarter profit rose as it controlled costs

May 1 (Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Cigna Corp said
on Thursday that its first-quarter profit rose as revenue
increased, medical customers grew and it managed medical costs
of its commercial and Medicare customers.

Cigna reported net income of $528 million, or $1.92 per
share, up from $57 million, or 20 cents per share, a year
earlier, when it took a charge for exiting a business.

The company reported earnings of $1.83 per share, excluding
investment gains.

Analysts on average were expecting a profit of $1.54 per
share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. It was not
immediately clear if the figures were comparable.
(Reporting by Caroline Humer; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)